Fiual outboard motor steering rig



1959 w. A. PRIER I 2,899,833

DUAL OUTBOARD MOTOR STEERING RIG Filed Sept. 3, 1957 FIG.3

INVENTOR. WILLIAM A. PRlER BY BUCKHORN,CHEAT HAM & BLO RE ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 18, 1959" DUAL OUTBOARD MOTOR STEERING RIG William A. Prier, Sherwood, Greg.

Application September 3, 1957, Serial No. 681,543

4 Claims. (Cl. 74-471) The present invention comprises a steering rig for a pair of outboard motors mounted side-by-side in operative position on a boat. It is quite common for outboard motor boats to be propelled by a pair of outboard motors, usually mounted side-by-side on the transom of the boat. The purpose of such an arrangement is usually to provide suflicient power to propel the boat at high speed from one point to another, and yet be able to propel the boat at slow speed by employing one motor alone for the purpose of trolling, or maneuvering in crowded or dangerous Waters. The use of dual outboard motors creates a number of problems as follows: First of all, it is necessary to provide means whereby the two motors can be turned in unison for steering purposes, which means that they must be connected together and jointly connected to the helm. Previously, this has required laborious elforts and trialand-error adjustment of the two motors with respect to the transom or to the steering means. Even then, difiiculties were encountered due to the necessity of allowing an outboard motor freedom to kick up, or be raised manually, so that the propeller could ride over submerged rocks and logs without damage, or in order that the motor may be tipped up to replace a broken shear-pin. This has forced the adoption of complicated, flexible connecting means which has rendered the union even more difficult to install, and impractical for several reasons including the difiiculty of turning two motors against the propeller torque by the use of flexible connecting means. Attempts have been made to connect the two motors together by a rigid link having universal joint connection to the motors, the helm ropes or cables being connected to the link; but this has resulted in damage to the steering mechanism, the motors, or the boat under certain circumstances, such as the occasion of one motor kicking up upon striking a submerged object.

The object of the present invention is to overcome all of the foregoing difiiculties by providing a steering rig which may be installed in a few minutes, which requires no special helm rope arrangement, which will maintain perfect control of the two motors acting in unison while turning to the maximum extent in either direction, which will permit one motor to kick up upon striking a submerged object without damage to the boat, motor, or steering rig, and which will permit either or both motors to be manually raised without disconnecting the helm ropes.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily ascertained from inspection of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing the present in vention in operative association with a pair of outboard motors mounted on a boat transom;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in perspective showing details of the steering rig;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section, on an enlarged scale," taken substantially along line 3-3' of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an end view on an enlarged scale taken from the plane 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 illustrates the stern of a boat including the tran-- com 10 and gunwales 11, with a pair of outboard motors 12 mounted in usual side-by-side operative position on. the transom. The motors are connected together by the steering rig of the present invention, generally indicated: at 13, with the steering rig connected to a pair of flex-- ible steering elements or helm ropes 14 which are trained; over pulleys 15 mounted on the gunwales. It will be ap-- preciated that this is a simple arrangement of steering: ropes or cables involving a pair of such flexible elements; or the opposed ends of a single rope or cable extending: transversely in opposite direction from the steering rig, around the pulleys .15 and forwardly along the gunwales to the steering wheel or steering mechanism constituting the hehn arrangement of an outboard motor boat.

The steering rig comprises a rigid, elongated, transversely extending link 16 which preferably comprises a cast bronze element. For lightness the link may comprise a spaced pair of bars 17 having their ends joined together in tapered points as indicated at 18. The link is preferably curved downwardly in order to clear projecting portions of certain types of motors presently on 'the market, but it could be a straight link and still operate satisfactorily for most commercially produced motors.

Each of the end portions 18 of the link are provided with a longitudinally extending, internally threaded bore 20 in which is engaged the threaded shank 21 of an open hook 22 which projects longitudinally from the link. The hook is snugly engaged in an eye 23 projecting forwardly with respect to the boat from a mounting member 24 suitably formed for rigid attachment to an outboard mo-- tor. For this purpose the member 24 comprises a slotted bracket portion 25 at each end of a transverse portion 26 provided with a central opening 27 through which maybe passed a securing bolt 28 adapted to be screwed into a threaded opening formed for the purpose in the out board motor. The mounting member illustrated has;v been designed to fit almost all outboard motors presently on the market, being capable of rigid securement to a. rigid, integral portion of the motor such as a steering arm. or the carrying handle 29 herein illustrated, but it is tot be appreciated that alternative forms of mounting mem-- bers may be supplied to adapt the steering rig to any out board motor. For this purpose the hook 22 is preferably open to the extent that it maybe readily disengaged. from the eye 23, which arrangement also provides for: rapid adjustment of the effective length'of the link to: accommodate the spacing of the motors on the transom. It is to be appreciated that the hook 22, when in use, lies in a substantially vertical plane and the eye 23 occupies a substantially horizontal plane. When a turn being made oneof the hooks pulls against the inside of its associated eye and the other hook pushes against the' outside portion of its associated eye, and neither hook can be disengaged from its eye without disconnecting the mounting member 24 from one of the motors.

At the midpoint of the link 16 there is formed a longitudinally extending journal 30, the journal being directed transversely of the link 16 in a substantially horizontal plane when the motors are propelling the boat on a straightaway course. The journal 30 supports an assembly 31 which comprises a cylindrical steering rod '32 and a sleeve 33 rotatively and slidably mounted thereon. The steering rod 32 is fixed to the link 16 by means of a pin 34 so that the steering rod projects horizontally forward from the link when the boat is on a straightaway course. The assembly could be so formed as to have the sleeve 33 fixed to'theouter end of the rod 32 and the rod 32 slide and-rotate in the journal 30, but such an arrangement is not as advantageous as the illustrated arrangement since in some positions the rod 32 would be thrust rearwardly and strike the transom. The sleeve 33 mounts a pair of oppositely'extending eyes 36 into which are-secured the endsof the helmropes 14. A cotter pin 37 may be mounted in the extreme end of the steering rod 32 to prevent disengagement of the sleeve 33 from the steering rod.

In mounting the steering rig it is only necessary to mount the motors 12 approximately equidistant from the longitudinal center line of the boat. Then, with the mounting membens 24 disconnected from the motors, the effective length of the link 16 is adjusted by rotating the shanks of the hooks until the openings 27 in the mounting members coincide with the bolt-receiving openings inthe motor and the journal 30 is approximately midway of the boat. The mounting members are then attached to the motors and the steering cables or ropes 14 are secured to the eyes '36. In a matter of minutes the boat is ready for action.

The engaged hooks 22 and eyes 23 constitute universal joint means respectively connecting the ends of the link to the motors. The assembly 31 permits the application of increased force to turning the motors in sharp turns in either direction due to the fact that as the motors are turned the link 16 approaches the transom, with the result that the sleeve 33 approaches the outer end of the steering rod 32 and thus greater leverage is applied the tighter the turn becomes. As long as the motors remain upright the steering rod extends horizontally forward, merely swinging from side to side of the center line and approaching the transom as turns are effected. If one motor should kick up, the corresponding end of the link 16 would be thrust downwardly and rearwardly toward the transom; however, the link would turn as the threads of the eye shanks 21 permit it to turn and the steering rod 32 would assume an angularly, upwardly extending position with the sleeve 33 rotating axially about the steering rod and sliding forwardly toward its free end to maintain the helm ropes in exactly the same transversely aligned relation. Regardless of what may happen to either or both motors in any state of turning movement, the helm ropes remain exactly aligned without any increase in strain thereto while preserving steering control.

Having illustrated and described a preferred form of the present invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same permits of modification in arrangement and detail. I claim as my invention all such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A steering rig for a pair of outboard motors mounted side-by-side in operative position on a boat comprising a pair of members adapted to be secured respectively to the motors, a rigid link of adjustable length extending transverselybetween said members, universal joint means respectively connecting the ends of said link to said members, a steering rod rigid with said link and projecting from said link intermediate the length of said link and transversely withrespect-tosaidlink, a sleeve slidably and rotatively mounted on said steering rod, and means on said sleeve to attach helm ropes thereto.

2. A steering rig for a pair of outboard motors mounted side-by-side on the transom of a boat comprising a pair of members adapted to be secured respectively to the motors, an eye projecting forwardly from each of said members, a rigid link extending transversely between said members, each end of said link being providedwith a longitudinally extending, threaded bore, a pair of hooks threadedly mounted in said bores and engaged with adjacent eyes to form therewith universal joints, said hooks being disengageable from said eyes to effect longitudinal adjustment of said hooks to adjust the length of said link only when one of said members is detached from its respeotive motor, a steering rod rigid with said link and projecting from said link intermediate the length of said link and transversely with=respect thereto, a sleeve slidably and rotativelymounted on said' steering' rod and means on said sleeve to attach helm'ropes thereto."

3. A steering rig for a pair of outboard motors mounted side-by-side in operative positionon a boat comprising a pair of members adapted tobe secured respectively to the motors, a pair of eyes projecting respectively from said members, a rigid link= extending transversely between said members, a pair ofshooles respectively mounted in the ends of said link and engaged with the adjacent eyes to form therewith universal joints, means to alter the effective length of said link, a steering rod rigid with said link and projecting from the midpoint of said link transversely with respect thereto, a sleeve slidably and rotatively mounted on said steering rod, and 4 means on said sleeve to attach opposed, transversely extending, flexible steering members thereto.

4. A steering rig for a pair of outboard motors mounted on a boat comprising a pair of members adapted to be secured respectively to the motors, a pair of eyes projecting respectively from said members, a rigid link of adjustable length extending transversely between said members, means on the ends of said link engaged with the adjacent eyes to form therewith universal joints, a steering rod rigid with said link and projecting transversely of said link from the midpoint of the link, a sleeve slidably and rotatively mounted on said steering" rod, and means on said sleeve to attach opposed, transversely extending.

flexible steering members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT)FFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORECTION Patent No. 2,899,833 August 18, 1959 William A. Prier It is hereby certified that error appearsh the-printed specification e above numbered patent requiring correctfp and that th Said Letters nt should read as corrected below.

of th Pate Column 4, line 61, list of References Cit, under the heading "Foreign Patents", for 1 1 2,237,834 France Apr. 8, 194

read

637,097 France Jan. 23, 1928 Signed and sealed this 16th day of Febru 1960 SEAL) Attest:

KARL H.7AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON I Attesting Ofiicer Commissioner of Patents 

